Gable Steveson, the Olympic champion wrestler and UFC newcomer mentored by Jon Jones, was arrested in June 2019 along with a teammate on charges of group sexual assault involving the use of a foreign object. The alleged victim went to a hospital and immediately pressed charges. Ultimately, charges were dropped due to a legal loophole that prevented the victim's testimony from being admitted because she had voluntarily consumed alcohol on the evening of the incident. There were no witnesses besides the victim and the two wrestlers, and their accounts contradicted each other. While there is no direct proof of Steveson's guilt, the law was subsequently changed after this case so that victim testimony is now admissible regardless of alcohol consumption circumstances.
In June 2019, Gable Steveson — the Olympic gold medalist wrestler who has since signed with the UFC under the mentorship of Jon Jones — was arrested alongside a teammate on charges of group sexual assault involving the use of a foreign object. The alleged victim sought medical attention at a hospital immediately following the incident and pressed charges the same day.
The case ultimately did not result in a conviction. Charges were dropped due to a legal loophole that prevented the victim's testimony from being admitted as evidence, stemming from the fact that she had voluntarily consumed alcohol on the evening in question. With no witnesses other than the victim and the two wrestlers, and with the accounts of those involved contradicting one another, prosecutors were left without a viable path forward.
Why it matters
- The legal outcome did not rest on a finding of innocence, but on an evidentiary rule that blocked the victim's account from being heard in court.
- The case directly prompted a change in Minnesota law, which was subsequently amended so that victim testimony is now admissible regardless of the circumstances surrounding voluntary alcohol consumption.
- Steveson has since entered the UFC orbit, bringing renewed public attention to his background ahead of his professional mixed martial arts career.
No direct proof of Steveson's guilt was established through the legal process. However, the legislative response to this specific case underscores that lawmakers identified a meaningful gap in victim protections that the case exposed. The law has since been corrected, meaning the evidentiary barrier that ended this prosecution no longer exists under current statute.
